OSCE MISSION MEMBER TESTIFIES IN MILOSEVIC TRIAL

ZAGREB, April 11 (Hina)- Testifying at the trial of Slobodan Milosevic in The Hague on Thursday, retired British general Karol John Drewienkiewicz, a member of the OSCE Mission, described the discovery of the slaughter of more than a dozen residents of the Racak village, which the former Yugoslav president is being charged with. #L# The Mission turned toward a ditch and saw the bodies of 23 persons, Drewienkiewicz said, describing the arrival of the Mission headed by Ambassador William Walker and journalists to Racak, the day after the crime had been committed. The victims were all shot in the head or neck and all were dressed in civilian clothing. There were not any signs indicating any struggle, he said. The OSCE (Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe) concluded the slaughter had been committed by Yugoslav forces. Milosevic is charged with crimes against humanity which, in addition to the deportation of 800,000 Albanians from Kosovo in the first half of 1999, includes the slaughter of a total of 45 Kosovo Albanians in Racak on January 15th, 1999. Several times during the trial, Milosevic claimed the murder of Albanians in Racak was directed by Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA). Drewienkiewicz said that the day after the attack, villagers told him that the KLA retreated from Racak once the Serb army entered the village. General Drewienkiewicz was William Walker's deputy chief in the OSCE Mission from October 1998. During his testimony, he described how at the end of 1998 and early 1999, the OSCE Mission recorded a series of examples of excessive use of force against civilians and violations of the agreement to withdraw Yugoslav forces. Drewienkiewicz described his meetings with the Yugoslav Army commander when the OSCE objected to the attacks on civilians. (hina) sp sb